The tragedy that is child abuse has been a part of human existence longer than anyone wants to think. It inflicts the deepest of wounds, including the severing of a young person’s faith in God, in adults and in the institutions that exist to protect them. Child abuse, including sexual abuse, oc curs worldwide, across generations and cultures and has made itself present even in Christ’s church. Jesuit Father Hans Zollner consults on the protection of minors and vulnerable persons to the Diocese of Rome and the Dicastery for Clergy and has been on the front lines of safeguarding children in more than 80 countries. Last May, Father Zollner reminded a room full of diocesan Safe Environment and victim assistance coordinators that keeping children safe is more than the obligation of Church clergy, lay staff and volunteers: It is part and parcel of the Gospel. The global Church is a leader today in safeguarding the youngest followers of Christ, he noted, although “we don’t do well dealing with the past.” The path toward both acknowledging past harm and improving child protection began in 2002, when a vision of the Catholic Church became to eradicate child sexual abuse by clergy and religious from all its institutions and ensure that the Church’s evangelizing focus is accompanied by the promise of personal safety for children and vulnerable adults. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young Adults, which was approved and implemented that year, put forward as its premise that no form of child abuse should be perpetrated, encouraged, accepted or overlooked by anyone carrying out the Church’s mission. The charter set forth essential norms for diocesan policies dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests or deacons. It has undergone several revisions since its inception almost 25 years ago, but the guiding principle has stayed the same: to acknowledge past mistakes and affirm a “deep commitment to sustain and strengthen a safe environment within the Church for children and youth,” as well as promote healing and reconciliation among victim-survivors. At the diocesan level, that has taken the form of a robust and strict Safe Environment policy. Last year, that policy saw 16,941 children receive Safe Environment training, 13,991 adults receive training in child protection and more than 12,000 parish and school and diocesan employees and lay volunteers submit to background checks meant to prevent those with child abuse and other criminal charges from interacting with minors in the Catholic environment. In the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend’s Office of Human Resources, Brandy Scrogham is the diocesan Safe Environment coordinator. She is responsible for the implementation of Safe Environment policies, collaborates on an annual diocesan audit and conducts parish and school Safe Environment audits. She is in regular communication with other Safe Environment coordinators across the country to ensure that the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is implementing best practices with its Safe Environment program. Babette Zielinski, the database coordinator, works closely with parish Safe Environment coordinators to maintain the accuracy of the database and conducts parish and school audits. “Our pastors are so supportive in implementing our diocesan policies and the safeguards we have in place for the protection of our children and young people,” Scrogham said. Safe Environment begins at the parish and school level, and each parish and school have a Safe Environment coordinator. According to Zielinski, “The Safe Environment coordinators work diligently to ensure that every employee and volunteer who encounters our children and young people have completed all Safe Environment requirements.” Compared to the days in which this safeguarding focus was not in place, and due to the intense diligence with which the Safe Environment program has been implemented within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, far fewer survivors of child sexual abuse by representatives of the Church are coming forward today. However, the Church’s responsibility to accompany and support victim-survivors means that the diocese continues to offer the assistance of Victim Assistance Coordinator Jodi Marlin, because “every instance of abuse perpetrated by clergy or religious is egregious,” Marlin said. “Anyone who has been harmed deserves credibility, compassion and justice as they try to reconcile what happened to them with the existence of a loving God and a Savior who gave His life for them,” Marlin added. Different resources are available to help victim-survivors navigate an adulthood colored by past abuse. Today, more instances of child abuse and child sexual abuse and exploitation involve lay parish or school staff than members of the clergy. Also prevalent is abuse perpetrated by school classmates or friends of young people, even those who attend Catholic schools. Policies in place at both the school and diocesan level aim to make the expectations of students clear – as well as the repercussions for crossing ethical boundaries. While those landscapes and the Church’s response to them evolve, no instance of sexual abuse of a young person goes unaddressed. While Marlin is available for situations of abuse involving children and clergy, Mary Glowaski, assistant to Bishop Rhoades in pastoral care, mediates in situations of abuse and misconduct involving schools, adults and lay ministers of the diocese. Her pastoral work is focused on walking with those involved anytime harm has been caused, in any way, in the Church. “Bishop Rhoades takes very seriously any report of abuse or misconduct by any representative of the Church and has a steadfast commitment to transparency and to the protection of the young and vulnerable,” Glowaski said. “He is dedicated to admitting the past and helping victims heal and be reconciled.” Glowaski said she is grateful for the commitment of Bishop Rhoades, Scrogham, Marlin and all of the Safe Environment team to creating a safe and caring environment for everyone in the Church. The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is unique, she said, “in having a team that works together and complements each other in this way and is so committed to fulfilling every facet of security and protection. This collaboration serves the whole Church.” The post Establishing the Vanguard in Child Protection: The Catholic Church Today appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less